Car roof sealing arrangement



y 1958 F. M. HESS ET AL 2,842,074

CAR ROOF SEALING ARRANGEMENT Filed July 25, 1954 Inv eniors I Lfr'anklinfifldler G. LFranciSA/LHess Attorney United ftates Patent CAR ROOF SEALING ARRANGEMENT Francis M. Hess, Riverdale, 11]., and Franliiin P. Adler, Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application July 23, 1954, Serial No. 445,388

1 Claim. (Cl. 108-54) This invention relates to metal car roof constructions wherein the roof sheets extend from side plate to side plate and are riveted thereto.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a roof sheet having an improved weatherseal adjacent its side plate edge.

Whereas in the past, the juncture of the roof sheet edge and the side plate has presented a weatherseal only by means of car cement and riveting therebetween, the invention provides a weatherseal by means of a tension joint and a weather trap, in addition to the usual riveting and car cement.

The aforementioned and other objects will become more apparent by reference to the following description accompanied by appropriate drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner of a railway box car roof embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of Fig. l and showing the fit of a roof sheet over a side plate, before rivets are applied;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1, similar to Fig. 2 but with a rivet inserted between the two parts; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and showing the fit of a roof sheet embodying the present invention over an end plate after riveting.

Referring to the drawings, a roof corner of a railway car is depicted wherein an arched end roof sheet is joined to a side wall 11 and an end wall 12, a corner cap 13 joining the two walls adjacent the roof and a seam cap 14 joining the end roof sheet 10 to an arched intermediate roof sheet 15.

Due to the particular structure of a standard Z-type side plate 16, to which the roof sheets are attached, and which is the connecting frame member between the roof and the side wall, wind and air currents carrying foreign matter are continually being forced toward the juncture between the roof sheet edge 17 and the outer surface 18 of the side plate. Thus, due to permanent irregularities occurring in these metal parts caused by usage, cavities or leak areas may occur between these two parts, resulting in leaky roofs. At present, counteracting measures consist primarily in applying car cement between the roof sheets and the side plates where they contact, then compressing and securing the parts by riveting them together. These measures, however, have proved insufficient.

The improvement herein disclosed consists of forming an inwardly angled flat portion 19, which we shall designate a crimped portion for convenience, in each end flange 20 of each intermediate and end roof sheet, and also at the downturned side flange 21 at the outer edge of the end roof sheet 10. By facing the portion 19 in- Patented July 8, 1958 ice wardly (Fig. 2), it may be seenthat upon inserting one of a plurality of connecting rivets 23 through a roof sheet rivet hole 24 and a side plate rivet hole 25, the crimped portion 19 of the roof sheet will be under a constant tension, the edge 17 being constantly forced against the side plate surface 18, a like effect occurring by riveting the end sheet flange 21 to the end wall 12. The roof sheet edge 17 is actually reinforced by being made stiifer due to the crimp being added. Thus a stronger and more durable weather seal is provided consisting of a tension joint, where the roof sheet edge and side plate contact, rather than a mere compression joint; the contact being of a forced nature and extending the entire roof perimeter.

It has been found that where complete surface contact is attempted between the roof sheet and side plate, car sealing cement placed therebetween (not shown) tends to bleed out from between these two parts, due to constant contraction and expansion of the metals. Therefore, as an added safety feature, the bend line 26, by which the crimped portion 19 is provided or formed, is placed at a predetermined location, approximately halfway between the center line of the rivet hole 24 and the edge 17 of the sheet. By this means, a space 27 is retained after riveting, as the bend line 26 remains spaced from the side plate 16, in which car sealing cement may accumulate, thereby eliminating the possibility of bleeding while providing at the same time a weather trap backing up the tension joint. This location of the bend line 26 also, of course, avoids flattening of the flanges 20 and 21 such as would negate the resilience imparted by the angulation of the crimped portion 19.

Thus, it is apparent that by providing an inwardly facing crimped portion along each longitudinally disposed outer edge of an intermediate and end roof sheet, and also along the outer edge of the flange of each end roof sheet at the end wall, a tension joint occurs at the edge of the crimped portion in contact with the side plate or end wall of the car, the tension joint providing an improved weatherseal which is aided by a weather trap space for the accumulation of car cement. In effect, therefore, an improved weatherproof seal is provided around the entire perimeter of the roof to car wall joint.

What is claimed is:

In a railway car, a metal portion thereon having a plurality of spaced rivet holes, a metal roof sheet having a flange provided with a plurality of spaced rivet holes adjacent an edge in alignment with said rivet holes in said metal portion, an inwardly facing crimped portion extending along said edge, said crimped portion beginning approximately halfway between the center line of said holes and the edge of said sheet, and securing rivets inserted and driven through the holes to said metal portion thereby causing the edge of said crimped portion to contact said metal portion and be conformed thereto and provide a space between the crimped portion and said metal portion inwardly of said edge for the retention of car cement and whereby to form a tension joint with said crimped portion under constant tension against said metal portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,318,330 Mann Oct. 7, 1919 1,749,473 Des Islets Mar. 4, 1930 2,062,050 Callaway Nov. 24, 1936 2,112,810 Hawksworth et al. Mar. 29 ,1938 2,664,177 Hammitt et al Dec. 29, 1953 

